Piano and like musical instruments using strings



July 21, 1936. P. H. BILHUBER PIANO AND LIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USING STRINGS Filed Feb. 25, 1935 Pm. 5mm sea twee STATE Patented July 21, 1936 PIANO ANDLIKE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USING STRINGS Paul H, Bilhuber, Douglaston, N. Y., assignor to' Steinway & Sons, New York, N. Y., a corporation' of New York Application February 23,1935, Serial No. '7,ssr

5 Claims.

solid connection with the frame so as to prevent energy losses from the vibrating strings.

i Another object of the invention is to provide a capo dastro bar which may be machined to form the rib, and which may be machined more accurately than the usual rib under the capo dastro bar on the cast iron string frame as the improved bar is straight and is a separate piece bent to shape after machining whereas the usual cast rib is curved and the continuity of the curve is interrupted by the plate bars that cross the capo dastro bar andrib.

, A further object is to provide string clearance for the ends of the strings where they lead to the tuningpins by providing openings in the improved bar which are of suitable size, number or shape through which the strings leading from the .rib may freely pass.

' The invention also provides a capo dastro bar and rib which may be welded to a steel plate, the string frame, and which admits of attachment of the improved bar by bolts or screws to a cast iron string frame, and is adaptable to grand piano construction.

Another object is to provide a capo dastro bar and rib embodying the features of this invention and which may be made in one continuous piece or in separate sections and may be either straight or curved to shape.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a fragmentary end view of a string frame having a capo dastro bar and rib embodying the features of this invention welded thereto, and adapted to use on a string frame of steel construction.

Figure 2 is an outer edge view of the same, showing one arrangement of the clearance openings for the strings.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 but modified forms wherein the improved bar is bolted to the cast-iron string frame or plate; and Y I I l Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a string frame having the improved bar andrib applied thereto.

Referring now to the drawing'llldesig'nates the portion of a spring frame or plate'which may be provided with a bearing or bridge 2| over which passes strings 22 extending forwardly to the tuningpins 23, shownin Figured. v

The improved capo da'stro bar comprises a relatively flatbody portion of suitable thickness and of desired; length. which nea'rone longitudinal edge isoverturned on a longitudinal line of bending to the desired extent to provide a shank portion 24 and a beakportion 25. This is preferably adrawn bar. The shank portion 24 isadapted to be secured to the string frame plate 20 at its longitudinal edge by weldingas shown in'Fig- .ures 1, 2, and 3, or in any other suitable manner to provide a shank which is substantially integral with the plate 20. The shank 24, being seated at its longitudinal edge on the-plate, extendsat substantially right angles thereto and the beak 25 is disposed at the inner side of the shank 24 and extends longitudinally and in spaced relation therefrom. so as to engage across a desired number of the strings 22, depending upon the length of the bar. The beak 24 is suitably shaped to provide an inwardly or downwardly facing rib 26 for contact with the strings 22 to limit the speaking length of the strings and to take the place of the usual rib of capo dastro bars, now commonly used and to also take the place, if desired, of the agraffes now generally used throughout the middle and bass sections of string frames.

As the string frame portion 20 is inclined or disposed inwardly of or lower than the string frame pin bearing portion, the capo dastro bar is so disposed that the rib 26 is disposed inwardly of or below the bridge or bearing 2|, so that the strings 22 are deflected or offset so as to hold the major portions of the strings at the desired distance with respect to the piano action while the bridge 2| draws the strings across the under side of the rib 26. To secure the necessary string clearance between the rib 26 and the bearing or bridge 2|, the shank 24 of the bar is provided with openings 21 of desired size, number and configuration for accommodating the desired number of strings and to admit of the free passage of the strings through the shank 24 without contact therewith. The bar of this invention may be made of steel and in sections of desired length, or may be made in one continuous piece. The steel bars are preferably drawn in the required shape, or machined into final shape, while in straight line condition and are subsequently curved or bent to the desired configuration according to the number of sections and their positions on the string frame.

The mounting for the rib 26 therefor is a rigid and solid one and the bar provides a relatively strong structure for supporting the rib 26. The bar also eliminates the use of the large number of agraiies used on the usual string frame and reduces largely, the number of operations required for assembling a string frame.

As shown in Figure 6, the capo dastro bar and rib may be provided, at the inner end of the shank 24, with an attaching flange 28 adapted to seat on the upper or lower face of the string frame portion 20, and which may be secured thereto by a desired number of machine screws 29, bolts or other suitable fastening devices. This latter construction may be used in string frames where the portion 20 is of cast material used in grand piano construction.

In a string frame without the usual plate bars, which connect in the hitch pin and tuning pin sections of the string frame, the usual capo dastro bar cannot be employed because there are no plate bars to attach it to. To overcome this difficulty in the barless plate a capo dastro bar and plate is made in the manner herein described.

My invention has been illustrated and described with some degree of particularity, but it is understood that changes may be made in the form of details and in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In combination, a musical instrument frame construction having a horizontal upper surface and an edge portion inclined to the horizontal, a bridge secured to the inclined portion, and a capo dastro bar secured to said frame and including a shank extending upwardly of the top surface of said inclined portion and at substantially right angles thereto, and a downwardly extending beak integral with said shank and terminating in a rib disposed below the plane of the horizontal upper surface of the frame, said shank portion having string receiving openings therethrough.

2. In combination, a musical instrument frame construction having a horizontal upper surface and an edge portion inclined to the horizontal, a bridge extending upwardly of the frame, and a capo dastro bar secured to said inclined edge portion, said bar including a shank fixed to said inclined edge portion and extending upwardly therefrom, a downwardly extending beak carried by said shank, and a rib integral with said beak, said shank portion having string receiving openings therethrough.

3. In combination, a musical instrument frame construction having a horizontal upper surface and an edge portion inclined to the horizontal, a bridge secured to said inclined edge portion and extending upwardly above said horizontal surface, and a substantially U-shaped capo dastro bar secured to said inclined edge portion outwardly of said bridge and provided with string receiving openings.

4. In combination, a musical instrument frame construction having a horizontal upper surface and an edge portion inclined to the horizontal, a bridge secured to said frame and terminating above said horizontal surface, a capo dastro bar including a shank having a portion thereof extending above said inclined edge portion and another portion engaging beneath said inclined edge portion, means for securing said latter shank portion to said inclined frame portion, and a rib carried by said shank and offset downwardly from the upper end thereof, said shank being provided with string receiving openings therethrough.

5. In combination, a musical instrument frame construction having a horizontal upper surface and an edge portion inclined to the horizontal, a bridge secured to said frame and terminating above said horizontal surface, a capo dastro bar mounted on said inclined edge portion, and means for securing said bar to said inclined edge portion, said bar comprising a base portion engaging the upper surface of said inclined edge portion, a shank integral with said base and extending upwardly therefrom, and a downwardly offset rib carried by said shank.

PAUL H. BILHUBER. 

